


the ends justify the beans

by chameleontattoos



Series: Pentagon Coffee Shop AUs [6]
Category: Pentagon (Korean Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-03
Updated: 2018-03-03
Packaged: 2019-03-26 07:03:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 998
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13852548
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chameleontattoos/pseuds/chameleontattoos
Summary: based on the prompt "i’m a new hire and you’re trying to show me how to use the espresso machine. i actually already know how to use it, but i’m pretending to be incompetent so that you’ll keep talking to me. please don’t fire me."





	the ends justify the beans

Wooseok feels like maybe he should be ashamed of himself.

There’s _exaggerating how bad you are at something to get attention_ , and then there’s _pretending you have never done something before in your life to get attention from the hot pastry chef at your new job when actually you were the best barista at your old job and could probably make the most complicated coffee on this menu with one hand tied behind your back_.

Yeah, he’s for sure going to hell for this.

He watches Shinwon’s nose crinkle in concentration as he leans over a mocha, carefully drawing a whale in the foam.

Okay, so _maybe_ he’s definitely to hell for being a sneaky sneak, but realistically, this new job is the best thing that’s happened to him since he cracked the top ten high scores list at the bowling alley.

He was eleven, it was a pretty big moment for him. He chooses not to include in his triumph the fact that the alley had literally just opened and his mum won a raffle to let him be the very first person to use Lane Number Four.

Why is this new job the best thing that’s ever happened to him?

Shinwon’s tongue pokes out ever so slightly when he gets to the whale’s teeny little water spout.

Because the most beautiful barista Wooseok has ever seen volunteered to teach him his mystical ways, that’s why.

“And that’s how you draw good latte art.” Shinwon says, straightening up with a proud little _hmph_.

“Absolute genius.” Wooseok replies, leaning in to get a closer look at the shape in the foam. Some of Shinwon’s outlines are a little bit sloppy, but it’s a good effort.

“Stop flirting with my new hire, Shinwon.” Hongseok says. “You’ve got too many coffees in the line.”

Shinwon gives him the stink-eye. “I have two.”

Hongseok grins, and Shinwon winces. “Please don’t.”

“ _Two_ many.” Hongseok says.

“I hate you.” Shinwon grumbles. “I hate you so much.”

 

“Don’t be sad if your art sucks.” Shinwon says. “Good latte art takes practice.”

It’s a Thursday, and Wooseok’s been working at the café that is God’s gift to mankind for six weeks. Shinwon finally thinks Wooseok is ready to make coffees on his own.

Wooseok does wonder sometimes why nobody seems to feel like telling Shinwon that the guy he thinks is a trainee ISN’T one. You’d think it’d help with, like, efficiency or something, to not have one of their best baristas tied up with “teaching” the “new guy”.

Wooseok is really way too good at pretending he’s never done this before.

Maybe he should thank Jinho for the countless lectures he’s been given about convincing acting.

Nah.

Anyhoo, Shinwon leaves Wooseok on his own at the front counter. Wooseok does mind being left alone, in that it means he can’t stare at Shinwon’s ass whenever he wants. _but_ , it does also mean he can finally do his best work. Pros and cons.

Everything is going swimmingly.

Until _the woman_ walks in.

This lady is possibly the most difficult regular customer whose patronage they have to suffer through. She’s one of those people with an insanely specific and super ridiculously complicated drink order. _And_ she’s always in a bad mood when she arrives. Wooseok thinks maybe she needs a tree change. Move to a city with cleaner air. Less rage-inducing airborne pollutants, or whatever.

Not that Wooseok can’t handle her. He’s very, _very_ good at his job. The issue here is that _Shinwon_ doesn’t know that Wooseok is very, very good at his job. And the _reason_ why that’s an issue is that Wooseok _forgets_ that he’s not supposed to be good at his job and assembles this whole coffee on autopilot without breaking a sweat or the curves of his foam art, which Shinwon one hundred percent notices because he’s hovering.

Shinwon watches the customer walk away with her perfectly decorated cappuccino. He doesn’t say anything. Wooseok is suddenly regretting the whole charade. Regretting it fourteen times more than he already had been. Regretting it so much that he might just give in his two weeks to escape from the shame and then move to, like, northern Australia. The mosquitos can get fat on his shame traitor garbage person blood.

“I must be a better teacher than I thought.” Shinwon says drily.

Wooseok can only offer a sheepish grin and shrug in response.

_Busted_. Hyunggu mouths. Wooseok makes a face at him, and he turns back to the table he was clearing off. His shoulders shake with hidden laughter.

Shinwon leans against the back counter with his arms crossed. “Would you care to explain, _Trainee Barista?_ ”

“To be fair,” Wooseok says weakly, “You’re the only one who never reads the staff memos.”

Shinwon narrows his eyes. “What’s that got to do with any of this?”

Wooseok pulls his copy of the memo out of his back pocket, pointing to the _new staff_ section. The section where it says _certified_ next to his name.

Shinwon’s squinted eyes are joined by another raised eyebrow. Wooseok would be impressed by the apparent elasticity of his face if he wasn’t scared for his job. “And you didn’t think to fix that misidentification because…?”

Wooseok is too busy unpacking the syllables in that long as hell word to respond, which is a mistake.

“He thinks you’re pretty.”

Wooseok turns to Hyunggu, feeling betrayed. “ _Why_ would you _say_ that?”

“Because it’s the truth?” Hyunggu grins. “You think he’s pretty and you like it when he mothers you.” The waiter pauses as if something occurs to him. His amused smile turns into something much eviller. Wooseok is scared for his life a little bit.

“Or _daddy’s_ you.”

“I swear to Christ I will _kill you with my bare hands_.” Wooseok growls.

“If you know what I mean.”

“I wouldn’t mind that.” Shinwon interjects.

“Hey, Hongseok, how much time off can I have if the reason is _wants to wallow in shame?_ ”

**Author's Note:**

> prompt is from [here](http://authorkurikuri.tumblr.com/post/150984606635/spice-up-those-coffee-shop-aus)!!


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